Veils of the Leaf
by DragonStorm85
Summary: Four-shot. They were the young and promising Genin of Konoha, strong and impressive in their own rights. But each team held a different dynamic of characters than the others. And only in the most private of moments could that truth be witnessed.


**Title**: Veils of the Leaf - Team Gai  
**Type**: Fanfic  
**Fandom**: Naruto  
**Character(s)**: Tenten, Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji; brief mentions of Temari  
**Pairing(s)**: None.  
**Warning(s)**: None.  
**Disclaimer**: I own nothing but these words.  
**Note**: Part one of a four-shot I had intended to write a few years ago in correlation to and inspired by a fanart drawn by LevyRasputin on dA. I figured it was time to at least start it, even if it turned out to just be a one-shot.  
**Dedicated to**: Team Gai lovers everywhere!

Reclining my head back far enough so that it rested comfortably on the wall, I welcomed the cool summer breeze as it floated in with the evening rays, bringing with it the crisp smell of the forest leaves that surrounded Konoha. For once in my busy shinobi-filled life everything seemed perfectly quiet. Not a single noise from outside these four walls drifted in to disturb the silence. There was just the starch-white hospital room and the sterile scent that always resided with such things, combining with the stillness of the environment to make a peaceful setting…that, unfortunately, wasn't meant to last.

My eyes snapped open, the daydream instantly interrupted and forgotten to be replaced by the sight of Lee shifting towards the edge of his bed. His arms and legs were still wrapped tightly in layers of bandages, keeping the injuries he received in his preliminary match from reopening. I couldn't help but wince at the memory, recalling how the gauze had at one point been the only thing keeping him together. Even now, I could see my teammate twitch at the pain, masking his suffering behind his ever bright smile.

"And where do you think you're going, Lee?" I asked sternly from where I sat.

"I was thirsty," he explained in his usually cheerful and loud manner, "I only wanted to get a soda."

"I don't think so," I said with a shake of my head, folding my arms over my chest in a disapproving way, "The doctor said that you aren't to leave your bed for at least a few weeks."

"But Tenten, my budding flower, I am perfectly fine," Lee protested, always keeping his ever bright attitude present for all to see, "My youthful spirit feels better than ever."

"Youthful spirit or not, you're to stay in bed," I reprimanded him, forced to get up from my seat to stand next to his bed, "You know better than to disobey your elders like that."

"Oh, how awful of me!" my teammate cried out in dismay, "I shall do a hundred laps around the village as penance."

"I think you're missing the point," I commented exasperatedly, quickly placing my hand firmly on his shoulder before he could even attempt to get up, "The only thing you'll be doing today is staying in bed."

"Let him go," came a stern and unexpected voice.

Taken off guard by the intrusion into our conversation, both Lee and I turned our attention away from each other and towards the forgotten figure standing at the open window. Stray strands of raven hair that had managed to escape his low ponytail swayed in the soft breeze that entered through the opening. His back was facing us as he watched the world outside, possibly counting the birds like he often did when we would take a break from training. But then again Neji was anything but predictable.

"Neji?" I called in question at his outburst.

"I said let him go," the brooding Hyuuga repeated tonelessly, "Fate will decide what will become of him."

"But Neji - ," I tried to protest.

"And you should be resting too," he interrupted once more, turning slightly as if to glance at me out the corner of his eye, "Remember, you're still recovering from the preliminary matches as well."

Instantly, my mouth snapped shut at the shock of his words, cutting off anything else I had meant to say. My hand moved to touch the bandage still wrapped around my bicep as if to protect it from any further assault that the prodigy might throw at me. It was a low blow to my pride, reminding me about the match against Temari from Hidden Sand and the disgraceful outcome. A crude way to shut me up, but it was tactful on his part. No wonder he was able to make it through to the main matches of the third round of the Chuunin Exams.

"Well played, Neji," I commented calmly, my brows still furrowed in bitterness.

"...I...will just be - ," Lee started to say nervously as he shifted around in his bed again.

"Don't even think about it," I snapped harshly, instantly stopping his movements.

"But Neji said tha- ," the taijutsu user started to protest.

"You stay here, Lee," I said in a softer tone, eyeing our other teammate in defiance, "I'll go get your soda."

And before another word could be said, I was on my way out the door. Taking one last glance at the occupants of the room, I couldn't help but marvel at the contrast. Neji still stood tall and proud with his back to the room, lost in thought while he watched life through the bars of his self-made cage. Lee, on the other hand, looked like a kid who had lost his best friend. It was heartbreaking to see his spirit less than enthusiastic, knowing that he wanted nothing more but to be outside in nature where he belonged. In that way were those two alike in character: they wanted to be free of their limitations.

But the last thing Lee needed was to reopen his wounds through unnecessary strain. He was lucky to be alive after facing Gaara of the Hidden Sand Village. And as for Neji, he would just have to continue battling his inner demons until he was willing to set aside all that nonsense about fate and destiny so that we could finally be allowed to help him. Until then we would remain isolated individuals in a united team.

"My boys," I mumbled to myself, a hint of fondness in my tone regardless of the mood our conversation had placed me in, "Between lectures about fate and 'youthful' speeches it's a wonder how I'm still sane."

Tiredly, I leaned against the door frame of Lee's hospital room, hesitating at the thought of leaving those two along together for any period of time. Against my better judgment, though, I pushed off the wall to begin my search for the soda machine. We were a team after all, a strong one. And despite our differences, despite all the arguments that we had in the past and would have down the road, there was no question about how deeply we trusted in each other.


End file.
